ED will interrogate Anubrata Mandal’s bodyguard Sehgal Hussain in Delhi. Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court ordered Sehgal to be produced from Asansol Jail before a Delhi court. Sehgal’s lawyers approached the Delhi High Court against the verdict. But Delhi High Court Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain raised the question if Sehgal is interrogated in Delhi instead of Asansol, then where is the problem? He also said that there is a fear that some important information about the investigation in the case of cow smuggling may be lost if there is a delay in this matter.
Statement from ED
The ED said yesterday that Sehgal will initially be kept in ED custody for at least seven days for questioning. As a remedy for Sehgal, the Delhi High Court said that his lawyer can see Sehgal twice a day for one hour in the ED office. But even if he could see Sehgal, he would not be able to hear Sehgal’s conversation with the investigating officers of the ED. Justice Jain said that the Asansol court sent Sehgal to jail. Although Sehgal was brought to Delhi, he will remain in the custody of the Asansol court. Only the venue of the investigation is changed.
ED complained that Sehgal was interrogated in Asansol Jail but he was not cooperating with the investigation. Sehgal’s lawyer Manu Sharma argued that if not in Asansol, he should be interrogated in Kolkata. He also alleged that the ED filed the case in Delhi even though the entire crime was filed in West Bengal. He said the ED should have gone to the Supreme Court after the Calcutta High Court rejected the ED’s petition. Failing that, they approached Rouse Avenue Court.
A 180° turn
Rouse Avenue Court firstly said it falls within the jurisdiction of Asansol Court. Then again on the ED’s request, the Superintendent of Asansol Jail took a 180° turn and ordered Sehgal to be produced in Delhi. There are lumps in this process.
While upholding the Rouse Avenue court’s order, Delhi High Court Justice Jain yesterday expressed doubt whether jail authorities in other states would also comply with the Delhi court’s order. On Wednesday afternoon, however, the authorities of Asansol Correctional Facility requested the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate for proper security measures, sources claimed. Since Thursday morning, several police vehicles have been deployed around the correctional facility. Police personnel was in the correctional premises too.
Soon after the Delhi High Court’s order on Thursday afternoon, the correctional authorities stepped up their activity. A source claims that Sehgal may be taken to Delhi by train. Attempts are made to buy reserved tickets. But till 6:30 in the evening, tickets were not available on any train. According to jail sources, there is a plan to take Sehgal to Delhi by any one of these three trains – Rajdhani, Purba Express, or Kalka Mail. However, no ED officer was seen in the correctional facility. According to special sources, Sehgal broke down in tears after hearing the order of the Delhi High Court.